All the usual disclaimers apply. The characters are not mine, I am merely a fan who makes no commercial gain from writing this story.
Sequel to "I, Angel" - if you haven't read that and want to catch up, please click on the link to Soo W above and you'll get there
"...you wanna know the deal? human weakness. it never goes away..."
Faith arrived back at the hotel with only half an hour to spare, dragging a vampire behind her by the hair. Wesley, Gunn and Cordelia came over to help her.
"We thought you weren't going to make it!"
"What happened? Why did it take so long?"
"You've been gone more than twenty-four hours..."
Their words died away as Faith swung the fifth and final vampire around in front of her, retaining the hold she had on the creature's blond locks. "Is everything ready?"
Wesley nodded.
Faith chained the vampire to the others. They formed a loose circle around one of the lobby's coffee tables, each chained to two of the others and a table leg. Gunn watched over them with a loaded crossbow, to ensure there were no co-ordinated efforts to run away. In the centre of the table sat a collection of Angel's belongings.
"That's how we get Angel and no-one else?" Faith asked
"According to my research, yes," Wesley explained, "We have to have a personal object. So... we brought a few, just to be on the safe side."
Faith nodded. "So, let's get moving, Wes. Some of us have places to be!"
Wesley brought out the scroll and turned to face the five. Four of them were straining, rattling their chains and trying to get as far away from each other as possible. The fifth was still and menacing, sitting on the floor and watching the proceedings carefully. He pulled at the ribbon holding the Scoll together and unrolled it to the passage he needed, then began to read, turning at the end of each line to the others, for a response.
"The Five will die, and from their ashes One will rise! Five are without breath."
Faith, Gunn and Cordelia chimed in, "Yet they live!"
"Five are without time."
"Yet they live!"
"Five are without soul."
"Yet they live!"
"Five are without sun."
"Yet they live!"
"Five are dead."
"Yet they live!"
The telephone rang in the background, and they heard the answerphone pick it up.
"And the five shall be a sacrifice, and the one who is dead shall live!"
From the machine, they heard Fred's voice, muffled by the speaker.
As Cordelia ran to pick up the phone, Wesley continued the incantation. "Even as life and death are not two things but one. In darkness is the light, in light is the darkness."
He heard Cordelia ask, "He said what? Why?"
"Arise!"
At first it seemed as if nothing would happen. The vampires looked at one another and smiled in relief.
Cordelia put down the hand set and walked over to Wesley's side. "That was Fred. She said that Angel said..."
Suddenly, one of the five dissolved into ashes. Instead of falling to the ground, the ashes defied gravity and began to drift towards the vampire to his right, who tugged his chains in panic and tried to get away. After a few seconds, he was enveloped by the slow-moving cloud, and exploded into dust.
"Angel said what?" asked Wesley, keeping his eyes on the spreading arc of debris.
Cordelia shook her head. "Too late. If this works, he can tell you himself."
The cloud grew thicker, and proceeded towards the vampire Faith had dragged in minutes before. She glared at Wesley. "I'm going to make you pay for this."
Wesley smiled feebly. "You have to get back first. I'm thinking your lawyer friends aren't going to help you again - not after last time." An intense look of satisfaction came over his face as the ashes reached her. "Goodbye, Darla."
The death cloud gained speed, enveloping first Darla, and then the remaining two vampires, and completing the circle. The centre was now obscured by the vortex; it spiralled up and inwards, bringing the ashes together in a column. Then a bright, white light flashed, and the ashes blew out and fell to the carpet in a perfect circle.
The table and Angel's belongings were gone, and in their place sat a naked form, plastered in soot and sweat.
"Oh my!" Wesley exclaimed. "Gunn, give me your shirt."
"Why exactly does it have to be my shirt!?"
"Just hand it over!"
Angel shivered and looked around him blankly. Wesley approached him with caution, and threw the shirt gently around his shoulders. "Angel? Do you know me?"
There was no answer. The besmirched figure clutched the fabric round him and seemed to withdraw into it and hide.
"Why is he shivering?" Faith looked at Angel curiously. "That's a bit out of character, no?"
Wesley reached out a tentative hand, and touched the grimly surface of Angel's right arm.
"Ohmygod."
The others crowded round. "Wesley, what is it?"
Wesley stood and warded them off. Angel cowered from them, hiding his head in his arms.
"Wesley!"
"He's warm."
"Warm?"
Gunn approached them and put a hand on Angel's shoulder. "It's all right, fella... It's your old friend Gunn here, just checking something out." At the base of Angel's neck, he found a pulse.
"Well, we'd better not make resurrecting vampires our party piece, cos this one's alive."
"Of course!" Wesley slapped his forehead. "The ritual! I forgot!"
The others looked at him, blankly.
"The incantation! We just chanted the same words that Wolfram and Hart used to bring Darla back. As human. Of course he's alive, why wouldn't he be?"
Faith laughed. "Well, I call that a result. Now, can someone please take me back to prison?"
Wesley waved the Scoll triumphantly at the others. "I *knew* I was right about that translation..."
Faith's Epilogue
The door to the Governor's office swung open and Faith marched in and stood by the usual chair.
"Sit down."
Faith complied, and waited nervously for the Governor to tell her what she'd done wrong. "God, how I love these little talks we have from time to time." she mused. "Not!"
"I felt I had to call you in here to discuss your parole hearing."
Faith groaned inwardly but on the outside remained impassive.
"The board were very impressed by what you had to say. They tell me you were clear to the point of eloquence on the subjects of remorse, the importance of working through punishment for crimes and the hope of eventual forgiveness and rehabilitation. I think it's not an exaggeration to say that some of them were quite moved."
Faith opened her mouth the speak, and shut it again when she couldn't think of anything to say.
"As for your behaviour while away from us, it seems to have been exemplary. The governor over there reviewed your file and said he would go as far as to say it was like dealing with a different person."
Another pause. Faith thought it would look strange if she said nothing, and managed an "Oh?"
"Obviously," the Governor continued, "it would be premature for the board to recommend a release date on your first parole hearing. Indeed, the severity of your crime would prevent that. But, if this improvement continues, I see no reason to doubt your eventual success, and I would hope we could perhaps move you to a less secure unit very soon. Well done, Faith."
"Thanks." The interview was obviously at an end, so she got up to leave, then turned back to ask, "Did they say what it was about my behaviour that particularly impressed them? Cuz, you know, I'd like to keep improving."
"Of course, of course," said the Governor. "Well, let me see, they talk at length on your integration into the social life of the prison. Joining the chess club..."
Faith gulped, "The chess club?"
"...volunteering for extra work duties..."
"Just wait til I get out," thought Faith to herself.
"...and offering to teach the other inmates advanced math, well, that was just the icing on the cake. It's a shame you didn't get any takers, but, you know, we could maybe wait until you get settled back in and try that again?"
"Yeah," Faith said, "On the other hand, it's so difficult to force people to learn if the will isn't there."
"True. Well in any case, welcome back, Faith."
"Thank-you, Sir. It's good to be back."
Fred's Epilogue
Fred made Wesley stop the car outside the main door. She left him to park it, and rushed into the hotel. The lobby was deserted. No Angel. She tore from room to room, trying to find him.
Eventually, she noticed a door on the ground floor she'd never seen used before, standing open. It lead to the rear garden of the Hyperion. There, with the sun blazing down, sat a handsome, dark-haired, almost completely unclothed man. He was reclining on a lounger, surrounded by several tubs of rapidly melting icecream and a collection of chocolate wrappers.
"Angel?"
He turned and came rushing to meet her. She was swept from her feet, his arms folded round her and he pressed her face into the sun-warmed skin of his neck.
"Is it really true?"
"Yes. Human, they brought me back human. No vampire. No curse. Kiss me..."
"Angel... you're freckling already. Did no-one explain the dangers of overexposure? Sunburn?"
"Sod the overexposure. I want a tan."
"You'll wrinkle and die of cancer."
He held her face in his hands and she noted, for the record, that his eyes were still as dark and beautiful as ever, and still had exactly the same effect on her heart-rate. They began to kiss, and for the first time she noticed he was breathing. He was trying to talk and breathe and kiss her at the same time. And he wasn't very good at it.
"So... saveme... from... mmmph... myself. Takemetobed."
"Isn't it a bit early in the day for bed?"
He leered and started to walk her backwards towards the lounger. "Well of course, if you'd rather do it right here..."
A discrete cough came from behind her, and Fred craned her head to see Wesley and Gunn laughing at them from the doorway.
Gunn shook his head. "Fred, try to get him to put some clothes on, will you?" Then he saw the hungry way the pair were looking at each other. "What on earth am I saying? Better leave you to get it out of your systems, I guess. We'll pop back in a month or so."
Wesley waved and made to follow him, and then turned back, "Are we excused, Angel? For bringing you back against your wishes?"
Angel gazed at the woman in his arms and touched his lips to hers gently.
"Yeah," he smiled, "All is forgiven."